EAST AFRICA CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT TRUST TRUSTEES. ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2024 Thé Trustees present thelr annual report and the examined financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. 1) REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DEfAILS Originally founded in 2013 as the East Africa Cricket Foundation, the tharity's name was changed in 2014 to the East Africa Cricket & Educational Foundatlon and finally to the East Africa Character Development Trust (EACDT) in 2017 to reflect more substantively the emphasis on character development in the chanty's activities. The charty is registered as a Charitable Trust with (Registered No: 1153030). and is subject to regulation by, the UK Charity Commission. Ra Istered address EACDT'S principal office and registered address is 37 Roman Lane, SouthvAter, West Sussex. RH13 9AF. Trustees Those who served as Trustees during the year were.. Chris Newson (Chaiman), Emily Bumess, Julian Ince, David Hardisty. and Roger Johnson. Banke The Charity's bankers are Bardays PLC, Business Centre, Sutton. Surrey and Barclays's affillate, ABSA Bank Kenya Ltd in Kenya. External Examlner The Charitys extemal examirer is: GMBC LLP, Marine House 151 Westem Road. Haywards Heath. West Sussex RH16 3LH 2) MISSION AND ACTIVITIES Mlp/3lon EACDT'S stated missicn is to transfomi the lives of disadvantaged young East Africans through character education. At the heart of EACDT'S mission is an ambition to help those young people with whom EACDT engages to reach their potential at school. at home, in their communities and ults'mately in the vrforkplacE. It aims to achieve these OLrtcomes by delivering a Character Education Programme that has resulted from: research by Drs Martin Seligman and Angela Duckworth, two eminent psychologists in the USA; from research into the 'Know18dge is Power PrOg￿Mm8. in the USA, an educational movement in which Character Education rs placed at the heart of its 200 schooFs; and from research into the work of the Jubilee Centre at Birmingham University. the global leaders in Character Education. Actlvlties The EACDT The EACDT Programme recognises that, rf young people are to make sense of their personal and worf(ing lives. they need to have the skills, values and 8th"lud8s that V4111 truly make a differenc8 to their futures - and that matter more than academic qualrfications. EACDT has taken the seven spectfic character traits identified by Drs Seligman arKI DLthxxth to be best predictors of personal and professional sU￿$S - Enthusi&wn," Petseveftnce,. SelfwLX)ntml." Optimism," Gratitude," Soa'al Intelligence.. and cUrnx￿ty- arml incorporated them into a programme that it operates in a number of Schools in economically dewived areas of Nairobi. Kenya. EACDfs programTh* uses cricket as a method of delivery, recowising that competltive team sports are an ideal vehide through bthich to develop character. arKI that cricket has parttcular attributes that make It Ideal for thls purpose. The Need Like other East African countries. Kenya witains many places of povety and deprivation. In most Kenyan schools, sports proviston is inadequate because of finandal constraints and because the benefits of sport are under-appreciated. In almost every Kenyan school the concept of Character Education is alien, although the Govemment expects ts 8chools to provide Llfe Skllls educallon- but wlthout providing them wlth ary resources to do this. The Trustees recognise that compeliti'vè sport should also play an important part wtthin the broad Ilfe of schools and that It is an ideal tod through which to build charactw. Ttr&y believe that, rf you build good character among young people, they will be able to make the maximwn us of their skills, education and opportunities in their fuiures. 2024 A¢￿#18S E4CDT's Character Development programme operated in 2023 in 10 schools engaging up to 5.648 young Kenyans (of %thom 49 percent ￿tre girls) a throughout the a¢ad¢mic year, pred¢minantJy in primary education. A further 286 yojngsters a week, of whom 121 ¥￿re girls. partiCiP8ted in our Community Programme. Tr Chaiity's schools wogramme continues to excite tha children involved in it, continues to impress the teachers in the schools in Ithich it is run and continues to demonstrate that li affects positively the behaviour. perfomance and Gonduct of the Children who take part in it. The Trustees remain greatly erwuraged by all they see on the ground in Kenya and the feedback they recelve from the Schools involved. EACDT also operates a parallel Communty Programme, the purFM)se of ￿lch Is to indlxle and invdve ttrose in the communilies adjacent to the schools in ththich we operate, so that parents and community leaders are able to reinforce the seven key personalty traits during the time that young people spend OLrt of school. It also enables youngsters. once thay hava18ft Primary sth00l, to continue in our programme. STRUCTURE. GOVERNANCE AND PIANAGEMENT Bound by its Tru8t Deed, EACDT, as a registered charity. is govemed by a Board of Tnjstees. The Trustees meet quarterfy, and on any otsr (tcasions as judged necessary, to review progr￿$ and detemiine matters of governance, straiegy and policy. All meetirvJs were vtrtual tn 2024. As noted below. EACOT operates in Kenya through a lo(xlly established charitable trust, the Foundation for Youth Cricket and Education in Kenya Charitable Trust (FYCEK). FYCEK has its own board of Trustees. In 2021. it was decided that it would improve the g0Veman￿ of both entities rf Tru8tee meetings were held iointy. This has proved wccessful and continues lo be the case. The Trustees identify any need for new tr￿teeS by refererKe to the charitys plans to any vacancies on the Trustee Board, and use tsir ¢¢ntacb io identify c2ndidates. Information, induding CV, reputats'on, and a summary of appropriate skills and experien￿ is then provided to the Trustee Board who, rf satisfied that the (arKlidate is a suitable person to join the Board. Èssue a vlritten invitation. EACDT works in partnership wth FYCEK, which the Trustees fomied speafically to prowde a vehide through which contracts and payments can be made to support E4DCT's activities in Kenya, and to provide a vehicle better able to raise fijnds in Kenya. FYCEK emF￿oyS 16 Kenyans engaged in de16vering and supporting EACDT'S actlvitles in Kenya. FYCEK'S Trustees in 2024 induded two of EACDT'S Trustees, namely David Hardisty and Jullan Ince. the latter resid8nt in Kenya and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. One other FYCEK trustee resident in Kenya is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Certified A￿)UntantS of the UK. Strong controls surround the spending of money in Kenya, most of which is for the salaries of the coaches and the administrators. The appointment of Trustees of FYCEK is subject to approval by the Trustees of EACDT. EACDT Trustees are confident they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefft published by the Charity Commission in exercising their powers or duties. Safeguarding EACDT, together with FYCEK, has developed safeguarding policies that reflect the circumstances In which it operates and ensures they are compliant with both the UK Charity Commission's quirements and Kenyan stsndards. These policies are put into effect by the Lryydches in the schools in which EACDTIFYCEK operates. STRATEGIC REPORT Perfomiance revlew 2024 has seen a contlnuation of our established programme in schools in whrch we have been working for some time. We also C￿tinUed with (Njr communty-based programme. The obj'ective of this programme És to reach and connect more broadly with young people and their parents. and ￿fjth members of the local settlement communits'es close to the schools in which V￿ work. Fundralslng continues to be a major challengé. In 2024, donations from COSARAF, who had generously eA)ntributed to funding to of our Hubs, comprising 6 of our schools, came to an end. We were able, however, lo replace thwn at one of the hubs ￿ryth the generous support of Sayani Ltd. Kenyan company. We have set ourselves ambitious fundraising targets for 2025, as we are very keen to reopen Iwo hubs, comprising 3 schools each. that we have had to close in recent years for lack of funding. As part of this strategy, the Programme Director, David Waters MBE. has taken on the full time responsibilty of Fundraising Director, and his deputy, a véry capable Kenyan. Collins Odhiambo, has become the full time Programme D1￿Ctor. The Trustees wll review the SUC￿SS of these changes during 2025. The support of and duty of care we owe to our Kenya staff has continued to be a priority. We continually receive positive feedback from them. and have been able to provide them with pay increases to reflect the changes in costs of INing in Kenya. Flnanclal revlew The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper 8ccounkn.ng records which disclose the financial position of the Charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 1993. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and for taking reasonable steps to prevent and delect fraud and other irregularits'es. The Trustees believe they have strong (x>ntrds in place in Kenya tst provide signifwt comfort that money received is well-secured and that money spent is subpct to proper scrutiny, approval, authorisat•on and ac¥xuntiNJ. Trustees prepare financial stateM￿t$ for each year in awdarrE with the reqU1￿MentS of the Charities Act Because d￿atiOnS total less Ihan £250.000. the Trustees are only required to prepare a Receipts and Payrrmts accounL *thich they supplement knith some explanatory notes. As can be seen frcrn the Rewpts and Pasrynents account for 12 months to 31 December 2024, receipts exceeded payments by £21,500 {2022 payments exceed r￿ipts by £8.554). As a result, reserves increased from £44.528 to £66,Ir28. ReceiOs increased by nearly £11,000 (£134.141 in 2024 vs £123,401 in 2023), payments fell forthe secorKI year in a rowfrom £114,847 to £112,641, reflecting. in the main, reduced costs of senior people. The Trustees are avrdre that reserves are not at the level t￿Y desire. and continue to monitor very carefully the Chaity's ability to continue all its programmes. Future plans Futu￿ plans depend to a consKlerable extent on the levels of funding the charity is able to raise. Funding has moved on from its historic relian￿ on the support of one private family foundation. and strategies to raise funds in the UK and in Kerya are pro¥ing challenging to implement. Future plans. which include reopenirvJ hubs that have been dosed in the last two years. developing new hubs and expanding the Community Programmè, have been developed for 2￿5. and our success with fundraising will detemiine whether these expansion plans can be put into effect. A long-iemi aim of the Charity is to embed itself into core Kenyan ojtriculum as defined by the Ministy of Education. enabling it to operate Nmth a mandale arKI approval from the Govemment. This task was continued during 2024. Ixrt deperKls lo a great extent on developing relat•onships with key Princlpal rlsks and uncertaintles A significant risk of operatlng In East Africa is the political and business environment, %*tich, we discovered in 2017 after a cancelled g￿er31 de(*ion. in 2020 and 2021 with the effects of the Covld- 19 pandemic on schocls and businesses. arKI in 2023 ￿th a foreign exchange crists. severe devaluation of the ￿rrencY and correspondirKJ l)usiness uncertainty. The cancelled general election in 2017 and the subsequent 60 days d uncertainty and vol8ti1ty led to the complete drying up of discu&8ions with Kenya businesses as part of our local funding strategy. The Covid pandemic led to significant losses (rf business. shut-do*ns. extreme hardship amorwJst the neediest n Othor 71 1,196 2,639 502 2,710 1,698 981 124 1,395 7,705 2,931 17,544 2,244 124 1.395 1, 198 5,4L 10.534 23,394 7.571 1,991 12.703 940 4,841 Fund raiwng Execullvo irusl Audit & Iggal 24,610 24.610 5.904 207 24.817 207 24,817 1.578 12,482 Tot•1 PO￿n•nI¥ 75.121 112,841 114,847 Exc•u of H•c•lpt• ov•r P•ym•nt•lPaym•nl• over Flec•lpl• lor th• yw lo 31 D•¢•mb•r a4 3,192 18,308 21,500 8,554 Cash lunds al 1 January 2024 Exce85 01 Receipls ovw Paym•rt8 for the year 10 31 D8cemb8f 2024 19,809 24,719 44.528 35.974 3,192 18,308 21,5th) 8,554 23,W1 43,027 66,026 STATEMENT OF ASSETS & U￿ILM£S AT ThE END OF THE PERIOD C••b Fund• 8ardays UK CuThent A8SA Kgnya st￿*nO Aecwnl ABSA Konya Shilling Wmjnt Kenya Petty Cash ra.(x)1 38.657 61,658 6. 198 1,524 141 4,104 4,104 23.￿1 43,027 86,028 There wwe no IlabiNli8s at the ¢nd of th8 pedL SIgn￿j ¢￿ b8hall ol tho Tru8le88: S6gnaturo Namo.. Julian Ince Position: Trustee Date: 21 OJOL. jo ## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** ## **Section A Independent Examiner’s Report** ## **Report to the trustees/ members of** Charity Name EAST AFRICA CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT TRUST |**On accounts for the year**|31 December 2024||**Charity no**|1153030| |---|---|---|---|---| |**ended**|||**(if any)**|| |||||| |**Set out on pages**|3 - 4|||| |||(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)||(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)| I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 December 2024. **Responsibilities and** As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation **basis of report** of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. **Independent** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have **examiner's statement** come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: - accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or - the accounts do not accord with the accounting records I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. |**Signed:**||**Date:**|30 October 2025
~~a~~|30 October 2025
~~a~~| |---|---|---|---|---| |**Name:**|GMBC LLP
CHARTERED TAX ADVISERS AND ACCOUNTANTS|||| |**Relevant professional**||||| |**qualification(s) or body**||||| |**(if any):**||||| |**Address:**|MARINE HOUSE, 151 WESTERN ROAD|||| ||HAYWARDS HEATH, WEST SUSSEX. RH16 3LH|||| **October 2018** **IER** 1 **Section B Disclosure** Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). **Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose** . **October 2018** **IER** 2